Politics and Culture

June 28, 2016

Funny T-Shirt

Jeremy Corbyn was condemned today for addressing a rally as 'friends' when it was attended by hard-left activists wearing shirts branded with the slogan 'eradicate the right wing Blairite vermin'.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling highlighted the image on Twitter and it was immediately condemned by Labour MPs.

Islwyn MP Chris Evans joined a chorus of calls for Mr Corbyn to resign immediately as Labour leader as a coup is mounted by almost every one of the party's MPs.

Mr Corbyn addressed the angry and noisy rally in Parliament Square last night, minutes after coming under heavy fire from his colleagues at the regular meeting of Labour MPs.

Ms Rowling said: '11 days ago, a Labour MP was killed in the street leaving her surgery.

'This T-shirt strike you as funny?'

In a letter to the leader, Mr Evans said: 'Over the past months since you have been elected, the unity of the Labour Party has been threatened.

'Your supporters – particularly those in Momentum – have tried to drive a deep wedge between Labour MPs and the grassroots, fuelled by John McDonnell who, I believe, relishes seeing the party in disarray.

'The hypocrisy of being threatened with de-selection every time myself, or one of my colleagues, has disagreed with you is beyond belief given your and John's past record in the House.

'But this nastiness has come to surround and define your tenure and we witnessed just recently your active encouragement of it.'

Mr Evans recounted the remarks of former shadow Scotland secretary Ian Murray to last night's PLP, in which he raised security fears about MPs.

He added: 'Your response? You went straight from the PLP to address a rally of extreme left who were intimidating individuals leaving Parliament.

'You addressed them as friends - people who were wearing T-shirts saying 'eradicate the right wing Blairite vermin'.

'This, just days after one of our colleagues was brutally murdered for her political views.'

Copeland MP Jamie Reed was among other Labour MPs to slam the message, while Dame Margaret Hodge warned today most of the people at the Corbyn-supporting rally were not even Labour Party members.

You can read the full text of Chris Evans' rather fine letter to Corbyn here.